Finding the ladybirds

I don’t really like January. That probably doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone who lives in a northern latitude.  The days are short and chilly, wet and often dull. All the pizzazz of Christmas has passed, a whirl of lights and socialising gives way to the empty spaces where the decorations stood.

However much I can contest that the Psalmist didn’t live in wintry Britain, he certainly exhorted us to acknowledge that each day is one that the Lord has made and we should rejoice in it.

So while I find this difficult on a macro level, I am resolved to look for the small things that bring a ray of light to the day. This immediately changes my posture because I am looking around, becoming aware and intentionally noticing. My motivation is different because I’m looking outwards and keen to find the small joys in the day.

Four days in, and the scent of a candle, stunning lichen on a tree, a rosy glow in the sky before the rain, and enthusiastic birdsong in the morning dark have brightened my day and helped me rejoice in the One who gave them.

And the one who prompted this post was even smaller than I had anticipated, but shone out across several yards, blazing its colour like a miniature beacon, was a little ladybird, clinging to the stem of a hogweed, hibernating for the winter – a little gem that made my day.

Polesden Lacey 02.02.23